Bringing nature-based solutions down to earth. The case of agricultural land-use planning and multi-purpose hedgerows in Lower Austria (AT).

Living laboratories are increasingly recognized as effective instruments to test and implement Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation while bridging science, society, and policy. In these Labs, concrete measures are being implemented. This paper presents the case of the agriculturally shaped Wagram region in Lower Austria. There, nine municipalities work hand-in-hand with local actors across municipal and sectoral boundaries to address climate mitigation and adaptation challenges, notably drought and flooding.

In the Wagram Lab, the Lower Austrian Agricultural District Authority (ABB) is closely working with representatives of the region and advocacy groups as well as landowners and farmers to mainstream adaption to climate change with NBS using agricultural land-use planning. The goal here is to develop an optimal overall concept for the defined area, which considers current and future economic and ecological requirements. Within this framework, ABB also promotes multi-purpose hedgerows (MNH, from the German term Mehrnutzenhecken) as effective NbS. MNH offer an array of ecosystem services, including soil erosion reduction, biodiversity enhancement through biotope networks, carbon sequestration, amenity provision, and economic benefits for landowners, who can take advantage of (wild) orchards and herbs growing in a surface that remains cropland.

From the Wagram Lab, some important findings have emerged. First and foremost: although every meter of hedge has significant effect on the immediate environment, MNH can only achieve large-scale impact when conceived and developed within the framework of the existing planning tools, including land-use plans. A series of recurrent and systemic challenges to upscaling has been identified, which need to be addressed from the early project phases. These challenges include (1) increasing the acceptance degree among farmers and other landowners, (2) enhancing public outreach, (3) dispelling misconceptions, and (4) integrating MNH knowledge into agricultural education schemes. Likewise, land-use planning programs should be strengthened to increase effectiveness and awareness. Priority should be given to measures that can be implemented directly by municipalities and/or farmers themselves. Top-down technical advice and support from policy makers is therefore crucial, including visualizations, checklists, maintenance plans and long-term financing for the proposed solutions. Early participatory involvement and the consideration of farmers’ interests—such as ease of management, erosion control, humus conservation, or, where appropriate, compensation for the use of their land for the provision of public ecosystem services—as well as follow-up support in cases of delayed implementation make a substantial contribution to further improving the effectiveness of both land-use planning and MNH.

This work showcases the effectiveness of Living Laboratories to bridge governance, policy, and financial mechanisms that enable successful NbS implementation and upscaling by operationalizing them at local and regional scales through concrete planning instruments. As part of a broader EU project (ARCADIA), this Lab benefited from cooperation and partnership with other European regions as well as knowledge from transdisciplinary scientific partners in sociology, psychology, engineering, and economics.